C'est La Vie
by Vogue Flamingo
Summary: "I expect you to have grown by the next time we meet, Edward Elric, and that you will come to acknowledge your hubris," Truth continued, as he bid the alchemist farewell. He flashed one final toothy grin as he folded his arms proudly at the blonde. "Until then, consider this your toll for committing the taboo and crossing into God's territory a second time, you foolish boy."
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note: For those who don't know, "c'est la vie" is a French phrase that translates to "that's life." Since Tamaki is half-French, and given the story's events, I thought that it was sort of relevant.  
This story follows the events of the **_**Fullmetal Alchemist: **_**Brotherhood 2009 anime, rather than the 2003 one. In fact, this very chapter kind of serves as a makeshift alternate ending to Episode 26 of the 2009 anime,****"Reunion." **

* * *

**Chapter One**

"_We're all lost... That's why we're sad."  
_

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

Edward paused, his chapped lips twitching downward at the sudden inquiry. Exhaling, he maneuvered his gaze away from the freshly drawn transmutation circle to lock eyes with Ling Yao. Even though the Xingese prince's eyes resembled slits on his face, he could tell that they were flashing with uncertainty and – although it could have just been Ed's imagination – fear. He stifled a grimace at the sight of his ally's solemn expression, and more so at the rest of his appearance. Like Edward, Ling's tanned flesh had been adorned with cuts, bruises, and various other markings from the past few days' restless events. His clothing was also drenched with the blood that they had been trudging through for countless hours, and he was standing in an odd fashion due to a few possibly fractured – or broken – bones. He had to stop himself from sighing again. They _both _probably resembled horrible monsters of some sort.

"Yeah – how do we know you're not full of shit?"

The blonde alchemist felt his eye twitch as he turned to give Envy a cold glare. Now _there_ was a horrible monster. In his true unleashed from, Envy's body was mind-bogglingly large, and a grotesque dark green color that would have camouflaged with the area's darkness had torches not been littering the place. While his shaggy black hair, as well as his sadistic personality remained, he now possessed something so disturbing that the Fullmetal Alchemist found it difficult to look at the Homunculus for a prolonged period of time. Faces. Human faces and limbs protruded all over the body like struggling swimmers momentarily attempting to surface before being pulled down by others just as frantic, screaming and crying out for assistance. The people of Xerxes. Sacrifices for a Philosopher's Stone.

"Do _you _have any better ideas?" Edward spat at the Homunculus, already knowing the answer in his mind. To be honest, this was the only possible plan that had been concocted after hours of dwelling inside of Gluttony's stomach, an endless dark void engulfed in darkness and layered with a sea of blood. According to Envy, it served as an area between reality and Truth – a failed Portal of Truth by the Homunculi's supposed "Father." Ed's stomach churned, and he attempted to block his conspiracy theory out in order to focus on the task at hand.

When Envy fell silent, Edward averted his eyes to return back to the intricate transmutation circle he had drawn, using the sea of blood as a source of paint. He was definitely going out on a limb – especially when his life wasn't the only one at stake in this situation. _No… Wait a second… If something _does_ go wrong, the transmutation rebounds on the one that committed it – no one else._ Said fact subtly eased the tension that vexed his mind and body, but he still found himself trembling lightly. As if it were a second thought, he glanced up at Ling one final time. "Alright… Ling. This might not work out for me. If so, you've got to warn people about these guys' plans."

"I'm not that concerned about Amestris. It's not _my _country_._" Ling scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips as he boldly placed his hands on his hips. The comment took Edward aback, and he heard himself do what only could be described as a gasp. _That foreign son of a bitch! Just when I start to think he's alright…_

"Are you serious?!" He retorted aloud, his golden eyes narrowing at the prince's snarky remark.

Realizing that he was testing the alchemist's already-short temper, Ling's expression softened as he gave the blond an earnest smile. "You've got people waiting for you, Ed. Make it back alive, and go tell them yourself."

_Alphonse…_

Edward nodded understandingly, taking heed to Ling's words. Averting his gaze to the people of Xerxes that littered Envy's body, a pang of guilt settled in his chest. No matter what Envy said, Edward had a feeling that the souls crying out were still prominent, and were still seeking assistance after the hundreds of years of agony. His eyes narrowed. _I'm sorry… But I have to use you._

"Get ready!" With great hesitation, and after swallowing anxiety several times, he finally managed to clasp his hands together, his next step in committing the transmutation. Almost immediately afterwards, he placed them on the transmutation circle to avoid any seconds thought that would prevent him from completing the task at hand. Almost immediately, circle was engulfed in a bright cyan light that lit the surrounding area. The blond squinted, his heard pounding as eerie black arm-like organisms slinked out of the light, reaching for all of those standing within the circle's perimeter. _Long time, no see… Too bad this isn't why I planned on opening you again…_

"Ling! Jump in it!" The alchemist commanded, attempting to be heard over the wails of anguish erupting from the people of Xerxes.

The Xingese prince felt hesitation vex him, but he squelched any worries and placed a shaky foot atop the transmutation circle. The foot immediately began dissolving upon impact. "You better know what you're doing, Ed! I'm trusting you!"

He remained silent as he watched the transmutation continue to take form, waiting patiently to encounter the terrifying creature known as the Truth a second time – as well as to be face with the Gate. A feeling he knew all too well consumed his body as he felt himself being pulled towards the portal of Truth, having to stifle squeezing his eyes shut as he went. However, out of the corner of his eyes, he thought that he just barely saw the blurred image of an elderly man slowly beginning to dissolve. His eyes may have been narrowed, and his hair may have been grayed, but Ed had a hunch that the man was of Xerxesian ancestry.

"_Thank you."_

"_Thank you…"_

* * *

"Now, what's this? You're not even _trying_ to get your body back. Are you, Edward Elric?"

When Edward's eyes finally flashed open, the area immersed with darkness and a sea of blood was replaced with a seemingly endless, blindingly white void. The only thing occupying the space seemed to be two large stone tablets with elaborate carvings, patterns, and various words in multiple languages, used as the Gate of Truth. The thing that sent chills running up and down Edward's spine was the presence a creature sitting casually in front of it. It only possessed the outline of an _almost_ featureless human being – a male adolescent. However, it possessed three distinct traits: A malicious grin, a flesh-colored right arm, and a left arm in the same condition. Edward bit his lip. Those were _his_ limbs.

Having landed lying on his side, Edward hurried to his feet in order to get a good analysis of the Truth, and gave it what he considered to be a menacing look. The grin remained plastered on its face. Ed frowned in return, and asked in a flat tone, "What's the toll?"

"Oh? Straight to the point? Excited, are we?" Truth snickered, earning a narrowed-eye glance from the alchemist. "But look at your leg! You're shaking quite a lot for someone so _fearless._ Tell me, alchemist, are you trying to _fool_ the Truth with this brave facade?"

Upon hearing the being's mocking words, Ed looked downward to see his legs – including his automail one – were trembling violently. Shit. Never had he been so fearful (or was it anxious?) in someone else's presence. To be frank, it hurt his pride. And _that_ frustrated him to no end. "Quit giving me the run-around! I don't have time for this, you bastard!"

As soon as he cursed the deity, he immediately felt regret. Instead of frowning, or erupting in rage, the ageless being's grin nearly doubled in size as he brought himself to his feet (Ed couldn't help but mentally point out that it was _his_ leg upon which the Truth stood). "Such a foolish alchemist. You have barely grown at all, Edward Elric. You don't think you can save Amestris – much less your brother's body – with _that_ ignorance, do you?"

The alchemist opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by the opening of the Gate. He felt his face pale and his eyes widen as the Eye of God revealed itself, opening wide behind the Gate of Truth's stone doors. A series of tentacle-esque hands immediately began slinking out of the entryway and into the pristine void, latching onto Edward's limbs and torso. As if on impulse, he began struggling to break himself free of the arms' grasps, shouting obscenities and crying out in confusion. What was the toll? Everything remained – what was Truth planning on taking from him? What did he mean by "growing"?

"I expect you to have grown by the next time we meet, Edward Elric, and that you acknowledge your hubris," Truth continued, as he bid the alchemist farewell. "Until then, consider _this_ your toll for committing the taboo and crossing into God's territory a second time, you foolish boy."

* * *

Edward scrunched up his face in discomfort, squeezing his already-shut eyes tighter as if to express his unhappiness. From what he could tell from simply lying there – as he felt great reluctance to actually open his eyes and analyze his surroundings and own well-being – he was lying face-down, with his limbs sprawled out on a harsh surface. Water… Thousands of water droplets were impacting his body, effectively soaking his clothing, hair, and marred flesh. Rain… It was raining… His head throbbed, and he shuttered at the remembrance of the truth being forced into his mind.

A hard object sharply collided with his right side, making his golden eyes fly open and wince slightly at the abrupt pain. Still suffering from disorientation and blurred vision, it took him more time than usual to scramble upwards to catch a glimpse of his alleged attacker. He squinted as a blindingly bright light shone directly into his eyes, using his non-automail arm as a makeshift visor. It wasn't just a bright light illuminating the entire area. The entire area appeared to be engulfed in darkness, with many flecks of light adorning the atmosphere. One fleck in particular just happened to be unhealthily close to the alchemist's face.

"I've got an injured person on the sidewalk of Mita Dōri." Edward was taken aback by a deep voice that sounded extremely close to him. Whipping around, his eyes widened when his gaze fell on an older man that was kneeling down next to him, clad in a blue uniform. "Looks to be a male youth… Blonde hair, unusual golden eye color, bloodstained clothing… Yes sir, he just regained consciousness… Yes sir. I will report back momentarily."

_Did… Did the transmutation work…?_ Edward pondered, analyzing his surroundings with more focus. He was immediately stricken with confusion. It seemed as if he had been transported to a street in Central, although he found it more complicated to see, with the light rain and midnight darkness. His head continued to throb as he attempted to piece together what was happening around him.

"Hey, kid," the man started, effectively snatching Edward's attention away from his surroundings. He gave the alchemist a compassionate smile, but his expression was solemn. "What happened to you? You look pretty beaten up."

Edward found himself blinking at the man for a moment, before finally maneuvering to sit up and get an even more improved view of things. As he moved his body, waves of pain shot through his body – feeling as if they were sourced at his chest and resonated throughout his limbs. He grimaced, bringing a hand to his chest. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, hoping the breathing technique would stifle the excruciating pain. However, his attempts were futile, as the pain seemed to intensify at his actions.

"I… I was in a really rough fight…" He murmured, after minutes of struggling to regain his composure. He knew that the man was referring to his bloodstained apparel, tarnished skin, and broken arm (which he had earlier placed in a provisional splint). He almost felt bad about lying – but even in his shaken state, he knew that telling anyone about the tenacious Homunculi would end with negative consequences. As if to make himself feel better, he tried to remind himself that it wasn't a _complete_ lie, in the first place. He _had_ taken a pretty harsh beating after Envy revealed its unleashed form.

The man nodded, as if he had already guessed for that to be the answer. With the few rays of light shining about, Edward was able to tell that the man possessed inky black hair that would have otherwise blended in with the night. Like Edward, his clothing appeared soaked – or was at the very least, adorned with dozens of raindrops. He wasn't wearing a military uniform, but seemed to be wearing attire that roughly resembled it. "I see… Can you tell me your name?"

"Edward Elric. I'm a Sta-!" His introduction, with the inclusion that he was a State-Certified Alchemist, was cut off by the pain in his chest worsening. He groaned in between clenched teeth as he felt himself nearly double over in reaction with the aches. He didn't remember being in such agonizing pain whilst dwelling in Gluttony's belly. Had the Truth taken some of his organs, like his Teacher before him? Edward found himself scowling at the thought.

An odd, static-esque noise erupted from the man's uniform's pocket, making Ed jump. Sliding a strange box out of the pocket, the man punched a button on it. More static, but Edward could also barely make out the sound of a voice. He could tell that it was a man with a raspy voice, but had difficulty deciphering what was being said.

What was that object? The blonde had never seen a radio so small, unless it may have been a newly-added tool in the military for means of communication. Come to think of it, the entire street looked to lack a likeness to those built in Central. The roads seemed cleaner – more polished, and the same could be said for the sidewalk. Even the buildings, Edward began to notice, seemed to have been constructed in an altered style. The thing that stood out the most in the alchemist's mind was the fact that, no matter where he looked, he couldn't see the shining Central Command in the distance. Normally, it could easily be seen by any street in the capitol city, as no taller buildings obscured it from view. However, the majestic building seemed to be nowhere in sight. The man cleared his throat quietly, making Edward tune his ears into his conversation. He appeared to be talking into the black box, as if it were a telephone.

"Yes sir. He seems disoriented, but appears capable of responding… I suppose that he is foreign, given his name. European, maybe… He called himself 'Edward Elric.' Said he was in a fight… No sir, I haven't… Yes sir… I will get right on that!"

Edward listened to the exchange with his eyes narrowed. The rain had caused for his draping blonde bangs to cling to his bandaged forehead, and he wistfully pulled them off of the just as damp bandages and skin, only for the strands to almost immediately replace themselves back in their former resting spots. "W-Where am I?"

Despite his attempts to speak in a clearer, more authorized tone, his voice still sounded like sleepy drawl. His question didn't seem to take the man aback. In fact, he nodded, as if he were expecting the question. "You're on a street in Tokyo… Can you remember anything else besides your name and what happened, Edward? Where are you from?"

Tokyo? The city didn't sound familiar at all. It sounded foreign – meaning that he was probably outside of Amestris entirely, unless it was a bordering city. He had already guessed in his mind that he wasn't even in Central, but he still found out that the confirmation of his suspicions took him aback. He hoped he continued to maintain what he considered to be a calm visage, and tried to answer the man's questions. "Amestris… I'm from the country of Amestris."

There was a moment of silence, in which Edward could see the man's face scrunch up with puzzlement evident in his eyes. "Uh, kid... There isn't any country – or any city, for that matter – named 'Amestris' in existence."

The entire world around Edward seemed to dissolve like the Xerxesian man did during the transmutation. It were as if he returned to an empty void, with the dull, muffled drone of the man's voice continuing to go in the distance. His head automatically began swimming in thoughts, as even the pain vexing his body went unnoticed. His face drained of color, his mouth dropped, and his eyes grew to the size equivalent of saucers. Amestris… It didn't exist? How was that possible? Where the hell was he? Was it some sort of sick joke?

His golden eyes grew even wider when realization struck him like a brick. The Truth. That was the only solution. _This_ was the toll that finally made its vague warning sound sensible in Ed's foggy mind. It had to have transporting him somewhere - but where? All he could guess was that he was extremely distant from his homeland.

_"You're in a different world,"_ a voice echoing in his mind seemed to inform him of his location. He covered his ears with his palms in an attempt to muffle the voice that seemed to blare against his eardrums. "_Scratch that. You're in a different universe. You sought to return home, and you were transported to the farthest place from it. This was your toll, Edward Elric, and you will have to endure it just as you did the loss of your brother's body, and the dismemberment of your limbs. Welcome to a new city, in a new country, in a new universe - complete with a new time period! Get used to it, alchemist. You're going to be here a while."_

The blonde's stomach churned as he doubled over, and regurgitated out the contents of his stomach onto the asphalt beside him.

* * *

**The reason why Edward seemed even more OOC towards the end is because I figured that he'd still be shaken up by seeing the Truth, as well as dwelling on its vague warning (he kind of appears disoriented the first few minutes of Episode 28). I guess that somewhat-justifies his OOC-ness, right? Also, the "voice" talking to him at the end of the chapter is implied to be the Truth. Since it is described as an omnipresent, all-knowing being, I figured it wouldn't hurt to add "telepathic" to it's list of abilities!**

**I'm also partially-unintentionally taking on a new writing style as I work on this… Although, I can't tell if I like it yet or not. **

**Enough of my whining. Please write a review and tell me what you think. Our favorite little pipsqueak will be enrolling into Ouran Academy by next chapter!**

**Shout-out to The Anime Loving Alchemist and jakefan for reviewing last chapter (er, prologue?)! **


	2. Chapter Two

**IMPORTANT! AUTHOR'S NOTE! :**** I edited the ending of the last chapter. You really should go back and reread the last few paragraphs in order to get a better understanding of what's going on. Please?**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"_What the hell is going on?"_

* * *

Buildings and trees whizzed by in a blur as the man driving the car rounded a corner, bringing the two one corner closer to their destination. Edward, after vomiting and hyperventilating on the side of the road, had complied with the man's (who turned out to be a police officer) plans of bringing him to a more reserved location for questioning. The alchemist was heavily defiant against the idea of visiting a hospital – despite suffering with a broken arm and ribs. He had a feeling that automail wasn't a very common practice in this world, and he didn't want to see a nurse's reaction to metal appendages (he was even sitting on his automail hand to avoid questioning by the officer). He figured that the man would ask him fairly normal questions – how old he was, if he was injured, and who exactly he had fought – anyway.

He was definitely in a different time period. The cars were built differently, had more appliances and nicer interiors, and Edward even noticed that the man was talking on what he guessed was a portable telephone. He was reporting in to an apparently higher power – a superior at his job, perhaps – about his findings. The blonde almost wanted to chuckle. Finding injured people littering the streets must have been an astonishing sight in this world, whereas in Amestris, it was completely normal. _Eh… Different people, different customs._

His mind was still swirling with thoughts, and shock was still a prominent feeling as he allowed for his body to sink further into the car's leather seating. Such a comfortable surface relaxed his aching muscles, and he found himself struggling to stay awake. The dull drone of the car's engine, mixed in with the occasional whizzing by of another vehicle, was gradually lulling him to sleep. He hadn't slept in two prolonged days – there hadn't been any time. Now that he was in a calming, _safe_ environment, the action seemed all too tempting.

"Hey." The man's voice snapped the alchemist out of his trance and effectively roused him out of the light dozing he had started. He directed his golden eyes at the man with a twinge of annoyance, still longing to sleep. The police officer coughed nervously, occasionally glancing at Edward out of the corner of his eye. "If you, ah, need to – you know – throw up again… Let me know. I'll pull over."

He had to stifle rolling his eyes. Of course the man was more concerned with his precious car's interior than the bloodstained, possibly _dying_ (Edward knew his life wasn't in danger, but the man didn't know that) teenager sitting beside him struggling to keep his composure. He nodded, gave an absentminded _mhm,_ and presumed with allowing for his eyelids to flutterclosed and for his mind to slowly wander.

Just as sleep was beginning to creep up on the blond, the vehicle was suddenly brought to an abrupt stop. The unexpected halt lurched Edward forward in his seat, and his forehead made a harsh collision with the car's dashboard. Upon impact, he swore loudly, and gently caressed the already bandaged flesh. He turned to give an accusing glare to the driver, and was only slightly surprised to see that the officer was already giving _him_ a disapproving look. "Aren't you supposed to be a cop?! What kind of cop is this bad at driving?"

"I'm not in traffic safety, kid," he retorted, a twinge of annoyance in his tone. He stole another glance in Edward's direction, before rounding another corner. "You already have bandages on, I see. Were you already injured before you got into that fight?"

This being, basically, an altered universe, Edward had already figured out that Homunculi and alchemy might have not as common as in Amestris. He would have to concoct a plausible, fabricated story to tell the officer, considering an interrogation was possibly in the near future. "Yeah."

"Geez, kid," the man commented, keeping his vision fixated on the deserted road before them. "What did you do that pissed them off, anyway? Do you even remember who attacked you? It'd be helpful to get a description of some thugs running around ganging up on people."

"I don't remember," the alchemist lied, sinking back into the passenger seat. Using short-term memory loss as an excuse would probably compensate for his horrible ability at telling a lie. Luckily, the cop didn't further bombard him with questions, and instead gave a curt nod. At least, Edward _thought_ that the questions were brought to a halt. The officer continued to interrogate the blonde, and he somehow managed to create somewhat-decent answers.

"Where do you live?"

"I don't know."

"Did your attackers hurt anyone else?"

"Yeah."

"Who else?"

"I don't know."

"Where are your parents?"

"They're dead."

Edward's final answer took the officer aback, and the shock was evident on his face. It was only a half-lie – Trisha _was_ dead. And Hohenheim… He might as well been dead, Ed figured. The blond frowned at the vivid memory of the encounter he had with his father at Trisha's grave. The bastard didn't even show up to her funeral. A familiar feeling of frustrated worked its way into Edward's mind as he directed his narrowed eyes to analyze the dimly lit city they were passing. Nevertheless, the man cleared his throat, and pursued the questions. Edward's frown grew. "How old are you, kid? Twelve?"

"Fifteen," the blond spat, his expression darkening. His gaze was turned away from the officer, so his annoyance at the inaccurate guess was obscured from the man's vision.

"Oh? So you're a high school first year, eh? Where do you attend?"

His look of rage was replaced with blatant confusion as he turned to face the man with furrowed brows. Fifteen-year-olds still had to attend school in this world? In a rather puzzled tone, he answered, "I don't go to school…?"

"What?" The police officer raised his eyebrows, and averted his gaze from the road to give Edward an incredulous look. In turn, Edward simply shrugged. In Amestris, schooling had only been mandatory for very young children. "Kid, you _have_ to go to high school. It's the law."

_Maybe… They have to go to school for so long due to extra curriculum? _A theory quickly floated into Edward's mind that – maybe, just maybe – this world's study of alchemy may have been more advanced than Amestris', and therefore more helpful in his search to return home. He _had_ to return home as soon as possible. The Fuhrer was a Homunculus! He couldn't take that lying down, and he sure as hell couldn't fend off those monsters while in a completely different world. "Can you help me enroll in one of the schools around here?"

The shock on the police offer's face became more prominent at Edward's question, and there was a moment of stunned silence between the two. It seemed as if minutes passed before the cop gave a shaky nod dripping with uncertainty. "You… You don't have any parents, and don't know where you live… I can make arrangements for you to stay at friend of mine's home for tonight – I've got a wife and kids, so they probably won't be too happy if I brought someone covered in blood back home. It'll take some time, but I can find a school that _may _accept you mid-semester."

"What's the best school in the area?" Edward inquired. He had only listened to half of what the man just informed him of, and had only paid attention to the mentioning of the schooling. "The one that has the most advanced curriculum?"

"Ouran Academy, for sure. But, kid, that school's for heirs of millionaires. The only way you'd get even _considered_ for acceptance is passing their entrance exam."

"I want to go to Ouran Academy, then."

* * *

Edward frowned at the quaint room presented before him. A single, petite bed occupied one corner of the room, while a strange-looking box on an end table stood parallel on the other side A small table for eating, studying, or for committing other tasks was setting in a corner, complete with two tiny wooden chairs. Another door lead to what he guessed – and hoped – was a bathroom. Nevertheless, it was dimly-lit, looked decades old, and possessed a foul odor. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Turns out, my friend is working a night shift, so I can't just drop you off at his place. This'll have to do for tonight, since it's all I can afford without my wife getting suspicious," the officer explained. Based on his disgusted expression, he didn't seem too fond of the hotel room, either. "Good thing I'm friends with the manager… Look, I'll call in the morning and see if I can drive you to Ouran to take the entrance exam, alright? And I have some spare clothes that I keep in my car folded on the table. Just wear them for tomorrow. But remember, after this, you're gonna be on your own."

The mysterious blond struck the man as odd. He seemed to have quite a selective memory, and didn't want to get too in-depth in topics regarding his family, or the brawl he had partaken in earlier. He didn't even complain about his obvious injuries, despite the cut on his forehead still bleeding profusely and seeping through the already-bloody bandages, and his arm bending in a way that couldn't possibly be healthy. The officer caught him grimacing and wincing in pain multiple times on the drive to the motel, but said nothing. He figured that the adolescent would have simply shaken off any inquiries regarding his health, and dismissed the man's worries.

Without another word, the man pivoted on his heel and started towards the hotel room's door, only to be stopped by a sudden question from Edward. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Roy Mustang, would it?"

"Huh? Nah, kid. My name's Arakawa Satoshi."

"… Oh."

* * *

Edward Elric was – for once in his life – speechless.

The blond stood in front of the apparently renowned Ouran Academy, and was analyzing every crevasse of his new surroundings with wide golden eyes. He would have never contemplated that Earth would possess such large establishments – especially ones that were only used to educate miners. The closest he had come to such a massive establishment in Amestris was the enormous, intimidating building of Central Command. He doubted that the source of protection barely held a candle to Ouran, size-wise. _Damn! Al would freak out if he saw something this massive!_

Not wanting to waste any more time dawdling around the picturesque campus, he confidently strode into the largest building of them all – one that he guessed possessed the main offices and headmaster's room. He squinted in the morning sunlight, sweating heavily in the new clothing he had to purchase to wear to his first day. He had spent the last of his Amestrian money on buying a new, non-bloodstained outfit for today, seeing as his boy's uniform wouldn't be given to him until the end of the first day and the officer had demanded his spare clothing back. The clothing was very distant from his style, and he cringed when he got a view of his appearance in the mirror earlier that morning. His signature leather pants (although, he had to settle for purchasing fake leather) and elevator boots remained, but he had replaced his tattered blue-button down with one with a similar design that was a guacamole green. He concealed his automail arm with a pair of cheaply made, yet still comfortable, gloves.

Pushing one of the building's double-door entrances open, the native Amestrian was greeted by a blast of cold air that was emitting from a large central air conditioner somewhere in the building. Just as he had guessed, the interior of the buildings were just as extravagant as their exteriors. The walls were a light pink hue, with various gold-framed paintings decorating their polished surfaces. The flooring was a pristine white, and the center of the hallway was covered with a maroon rug that extended down the hallway like an oversized stripe.

He calmly strolled down the hallway, examining the various doors that adorned the hallway carefully to avoid blindly passing his destination. Within a matter of minutes, he was standing before a large oak door. Embossed on the center of the plank, in golden lettering, were the words "Main Office." Edward didn't hesitate in entering the room.

The office bore a heavy resemblance to the front desk area in both East City and Central Command. A wide desk separated the few secretaries from the rest of the room, which held chairs, a small table, and a bulletin board. The secretaries themselves had the generic appearance of their occupation – hair pulled in a bun, light-colored suits, heavy makeup, and manicured nails. Two were chattering away on phones, while another seemed feverishly writing down information on a sheet of paper. Only one of them looked somewhat unoccupied.

"My name is Edward Elric," he told the secretary upon approaching her, not bothering with a greeting. As it turns out, she was stuffing her face with what looked like vegetables and raw fish tightly compacted in a pristine box. Edward's stomach churned at the food's odor, but continued his introduction without missing a beat. "I'm the new scholarship student."

The woman blinked, staring at the alchemist with wide green eyes and her mouth half-full of rice. Moments passed before she nodded her head, an action done so vigorously that strands of her wispy blonde locks fell out of her already messy bun. Swallowing the edible contents in her mouth, she turned around and shuffled through a disassembled pile of paperwork, muttering to herself. She swiftly spun around to face Edward yet again, neatly stapled papers in her hand. She held them out for him to take, and he done so quietly.

"You're already quite the talk around here, Elric-san," the girl finally commented in a raspy tone, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled charismatically. Edward raised a quizzical eyebrow at her comment, silently asking for an explanation. Catching the hint, she continued. "You broke the record for the time taken to finish the entrance exam, I heard. Did you really finish the exam in only forty-five minutes?"

He gave a curt nod. He had only taken the test yesterday morning, and had finished it at such a swift pace that the overseer of the exam graded it then and there to see if Edward had simply randomly guessed the answers, or cheated. To the graders shock, Edward had gotten close to every question right, and there was absolutely no evidence of cheating. He was granted a place in Class 1-A before even being interviewed by Ouran's headmaster, an encounter that was normally mandatory for new students. Edward would have hardly called the exam a challenge, having to learn all of the content it held – and legions more – during his alchemical training, but it seemed as if everyone else perceived it as nearly impossible to pass.

Without waiting for the woman to continue the one-sided conversation, Edward pivoted on his heel to exit the room, and intently began observing the paperwork she had given him. As he walked off, he heard her call out something about bandages and injuries, but he shrugged it off. He had also spent a good portion of his money on fresh bandages and better materials to make a more comfortable splint, rather than searching for a more suitable place to live. Luckily, the hotel where he had been residing had a kind manager, and he was willing to grant Edward permission to continue living in a room, so long as he would work after school for a few hours.

Edward had already mentally prepared himself for the wide-eyed stares and imposing questions regarding his bandaged forehead, scraped chin, scratched cheek, odd limp, and broken arm. Each time he would passed a student or staff member that was loitering in the hallways, he noticed that they almost always did a double take at his maimed appearance.

Analyzing the paperwork, he found that it included a schedule of all of his classes, a map displaying the layout of the academy, and a copy of all of the school's rules and regulations. According to the map, Class 1-A was located in one of the nearby buildings, on the second floor. He began making his way towards the classroom with a familiar fire blazing in his shining eyes.

* * *

"Class, please welcome the newest addition to Class 1-A: Edward Elric. I expect for everyone to grant him a warm welcome and make his years at Ouran Academy enjoyable ones that will be looked back on with fond remembrance."

Thirty pairs of wide eyes were staring at the blond alchemist – thirty-one if you included his new homeroom teacher – waiting expectantly for him to introduce himself. The homeroom teacher (called with the honorific "sensei" by other students) was a slender woman whom dressed just as neatly as the secretaries, and wore her chestnut locks in a similar hairstyle. She was obviously foreign, as she had a thick accent that made deciphering what she said difficult. However, even Edward knew that she was reciting his introduction from some teaching handbook.

"Call me Ed, if you want," he instructed, glaring back at the students behind draping blond bangs. Silence followed his brief introduction, and he realized that everyone was expecting something much lengthier. As a second thought, he added, "I like to travel a lot, and I consider myself to be a scientist. No, scratch that. I _am_ a scientist."

His final statement was underlying with arrogance, making the classroom erupt into hushed chatter. His formerly bored expression transitioned into an annoyed scowl at the students' blatant gossiping. He wondered if they lacked the manners to wait until after class to gossip about him, or were they all just cruel enough to do it intentionally to mess with him.

"Why are you so bandaged up?!" One girl asked in a high-pitched voice. Several other voices chimed in to the question, appearing equally as interested in what Edward's reply would be.

He shifted uncomfortably underneath their expectant stares, scowling at their prying. In a sour tone, he replied, "I got in a fight."

He heard a few feminine giggles from the crowd of students in the room, and noticed that they were smiling at him. It struck Edward as odd. What was so good about getting his ass handed to him by a Homunculus? Another girl cried out, "Did you win?!"

Their homeroom teacher called out the girl's name in a warning tone, but it went unnoticed – or just ignored – by the teenager. He pondered the girl's question momentarily, before nodding with a smirk playing on his lips. The giggles grew in volume, and the alchemist could've sworn that he heard a few dreamy sighs. He _had_ technically won. Not getting eaten by Envy – without dying in the process – counted as a victory in his book. Sure, it probably wouldn't have been possible without Ling's assistance... but none of the Ouran students needed to know that.

He heard more muffled questions from the rowdy group of female students, regarding where he was from as well as other things, but they were quickly silenced by the homeroom teacher loudly clearing her throat. "Edward-kun, you'll be sitting next to Fujioka Haruhi. Haruhi, please raise your hand."

A hand extended into the air, and it belonged to a brunette with large eyes. Edward furrowed his brows at the boy's uniform that the teen wore. This "Haruhi" looked rather… feminine. He shrugged off the thought, and strolled to the empty desk neighboring the boy without another word.

He honestly had intentions of listening to the lesson, especially if it had anything to do with science or alchemy. However, their teacher's voice sounded like the dull drone of the engine in the police officer's car – and that mixed in with the heat emanating from the window he neighbored was quickly soothing him to sleep. Despite his drowsiness the past two nights, his wired mind and aching bones seemed determined on preventing him from barely getting any sleep at all. He was too busy thinking, and had also done a very minor bit of panicking. He had also dropped by the public library multiple times in order to read books further informing him on the history and lifestyle of Earth's inhabitants, and had channeled his insomnia into reading them.

Despite his attempts to stay awake, his eyelids fluttered closed as he slumped lower in his seat. Finally, his body was permitting him to sleep, and he wasn't about to pass up the opportune moment. The low classroom ambiance around him seemed to fade into silence as he commenced in getting some actual sleep for the first time in five days.

Haruhi found herself struggling to pay attention to the lesson, as well. Being a scholarship student, she knew that she had to do her work diligently and intently listen in her classes. However, her mind was being occupied by the blond-haired boy dozing off beside her. He must have been confident in his intelligence, to start falling asleep on the first day of his studies. She almost wanted to awaken him and notify him of the importance of the lesson, but he didn't seem like the type to enjoy being roused of his slumber (_much like Kyoya_, Haruhi couldn't help but think).

As she watched the boy stir lightly in his sleep, she could help but allow for the thought to cross her mind that – even in his battered and beaten state – he _did_ look rather attractive while he slept.

* * *

**I haven't watched Ouran in years, so my portrayal of their personalities may be a bit off (or more) in the next chapter. Uh… I need to rewatch the series.**

**I know that attending high school may not be mandatory for students in Japan, but I figured that it may different in the Ouran-universe. Correct me if I'm wrong. Also, I made a fairly large time skip in between Edward's first night of Earth, and his first day at Ouran because the chapter would have been even more tedious than it already is. The first portion may seemed rushed because I wanted to keep my promise and have Edward start off at Ouran this chapter. I plan on going back and proofreading these chapters, since I usually write them in the morning when I'm half-asleep. **


End file.
